#dynamite thor
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
2024 was a big year for the 925 Universe - the website was created, several characters got nifty little bios, and the main trio started a podcast!?
Art by the fabulous @aristidetwain
Go read "Episode 26: Year in Review" here: https://ninetwofiveuniverse.wordpress.com/2025/04/01/episode-26-year-in-review/
#my writing#925 universe#jenny over there#jenny everywhere#dynamite thor#writeblr#public domain superheroes#the man in grey
13 notes
·
View notes
Text


2 notes
·
View notes
Text
This reminds me of a tendency in queer stories to have one character speak as though they're in a PSA or something, able to perfectly recite the Wikipedia page of any specific identity, which is an impressive feat - I usually give up halfway through my perfect definition of my identity and just say "gay" or "asexual".
It's usually in stuff meant for children or teenagers (the Heartstopper webcomic comes to mind for me) so I don't have that much of a problem with it. While you can argue that queer identities aren't as set-in-stone as they're presented, I think it's good at a young age to have a solid baseline to grasp before discovering the wider, confusing reality of it all. Still, though, I do find it quite amusing, to the point where one of the gags in my Jenny Over-There stories is sort of inspired by this (specifically the one where Peter Thor explains how he has a girlfriend despite being asexual, even though Jenny is also asexual and wasn't going to question it).
Conclusion: Sometimes someone saying something in an unnatural way is funny I guess.
That post that's like "stop writing characters who talk like they're trying to get a good grade in therapy" really blew the door wide open for me about how common it's become for a character's emotional intelligence to not be taken into consideration when writing conflict. I remember the first time I went to therapy I had such a hard time even identifying what I was feeling, let alone had the language to explain it to someone else. Of course there are plenty of people who've never been to therapy a day in their life who are in tune to their emotions. But even they would have some trouble expressing themselves sometimes. You have to take into account there are plenty of people who are uncomfortable expressing themselves and people who think they're not allowed to feel certain ways. It also makes for more interesting conflict to have characters with different levels of understanding.
104K notes
·
View notes
Text
AEW's Orange Cassidy and Willow Nightingale are ready to become Marvel superheroes
#Orange Cassidy#Willow Nightingale#Thor#AEW#All Elite Wrestling#All Elite#ROH#Ring of Honor#CMLL#Marvel#MCU#Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre#AEW Dynamite#AEW Rampage#AEW Collision#Comic Con
42 notes
·
View notes
Text
Red's Comic and Manga Picks of the Week: March 5, 2025
Red's Comic and Manga Picks of the Week: March 5, 2025 #ComicBooks #GraphicNovels #Manga #Books #Comics
Last week, I began Red’s Picks of the Week on my sidebar, but this time we’re going to be looking at my top ten picks of Comic Book and Manga Releases for this week. This week, one of the big releases coming this week is the first volume of Kenichi Sonoda’s Gunsmith Cats from Darkhorse Comics. This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make…
#Batman#Blade Forger#Bone Parish#Books#Comic Books#Daredevil#Dark Horse Comics#Dark Horse Manga#Darkwing Duck#DC Comics#Doctor Strange of Asgard#Dynamite Entertainment#Graphic Novels#Gunsmith Cats#Immortal Thor#Iyanu: Child of Wonder#Keep your hands off Eizouken!#Kodansha#Legend of Korra#Lycoris Recoil#Mad Cave Studios#Manga#Marvel Comics#One Piece#Sakamoto Days#Secret Six#Square Enix Manga and Books#Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher#The Apothecrary Diaries#The Herculoids
0 notes
Text
The Mighty Thor #366 (1986) Cover by Walt Simonson, Pencils & Story, 1st Cover Appearance of Thor, Frog of Thunder
#TheMightyThor #366 (1986) Cover by #WaltSimonson, Pencils & Story, 1st Cover Appearance of Thor, Frog of Thunder "Sir!" Thor, Frog of Thunder, returns to Asgard to confront Loki and get him to break the amphibian curse; The curse is actually lifted by #Volstagg, who finds Surtur's sword and breaks Loki's hold over its power… https://www.rarecomicbooks.fashionablewebs.com/Thor.html#366 @rarecomicbooks Website Link In Bio Page If Applicable. SAVE ON SHIPPING COST - NOW AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL PICK UP IN DELTONA, FLORIDA #RareComicBooks #KeyComicBooks #MCU #MarvelComics #MarvelUniverse #KeyComic #ComicBooks

#The Mighty Thor#366 (1986) Cover by Walt Simonson#Pencils & Story#1st Cover Appearance of Thor#Frog of Thunder#Rare Comic Books#Key Comic Books#DC Comics#DCU#DC#Marvel Comics#MCU#Marvel#Marvel Universe#DC Universe#Dynamite Entertainment#Dark Horse Comic Books#Boom#IDW Publishing#Image Comics#Now Comics#Key Comics#Rare Comics#Vintage Comics
0 notes
Text
Marvel Rivals Animated Series Concept
I know this sounds odd to say, but I legitimately want to see an animated series based on Marvel Rivals.
Like, this literally has all the makings to be adapted!
Plus, it would be pretty cool to see a Marvel video game being adapted into television, which has never been done before.
As for how it would play out.
Essentially, it follows the same plot as the video game, but a little more expanded.
Basically, after Doctor Doom and his 2099 variant caused the Timestream Entanglement, Doctor Strange and The Fantastic Four knew this would have disastrous consequences (given their experience with the multiverse)
It created new worlds out of old ones, which obviously cause pandemonium among the inhabitants.
With the existence now being known by….pretty much everyone in the multiverse, you know damn well that there's gonna be a lot of villains trying to use this knowledge for their own nefarious goals.
So, the five decided to recruit the heroes of their world to help keep the balance of this new universe intact and prevent any villains from making anything worse.
In terms of the art-style, it would essentially be the same as the game, but translated into 2D.
As for the animation, I can think of two studios that could do it.
Flying Bark Studios (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Monkie Kid, Glitch Techs) and Titmouse (Motorcity, Black Dynamite, Ballmastrz 9009).
Also, in terms of the universe our heroes (except for Peni) are from, it's essentially like an ideal version of the 616 universe.
As in, the heroes have actually reached their proper conclusions that people have wanted for years, while still going on their adventures and being heroes.
-The X-Men have actually made progress with human-mutant relations and DIDN'T get genocide'd into oblivion. Nor are they on the verge of extinction every other goddamn week.
-Bruce Banner has finally made peace with The Hulk and is now able to control him. Plus, he's finally with Betty. Yeah, remember her?
And best of all….
-Spider-Man is HAPPILY MARRIED to Mary Jane and is a father now, along with being a goofy but still mature superhero instead of an emotional-stunned man child who gets cucked on a regular basis.
Two of the best elements I could think of for this series are…..
The interactions between the heroes. We've never really had a Marvel cartoon with a cast that big, so it would be cool to see this diverse cast of characters bouncing off each other.
Some of the interactions I could see include….
-Captain America and Namor being brothers-in-arm and often bonding about not quite understanding or even hating modern trends (and rightfully so in some cases).
-Storm and Thor being best friends.
-Iron Man and Peni being friendly rivals.
-Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch being the sorcerer buddies.
-Rocket and Magik being the resident partners in crime and agents of chaos.
-Hulk and Groot being buddies.
-Luna and Star-Lord geeking out over music together.
-Spider-Man being the absolute heart of this team and essentially being everyone's friend.
-Venom and Scarlet Witch flirting with each other (I was kinda split on this one. Originally, I was gonna have SW married to Vision. Since this universe, the Marvel characters actually allows stay in relationships. However, I really like the trend of shipping Venom and SW together. So I figured they'll be an item in this universe. Actually, what other new ships could you see in this universe?).
And best of all….
-Jeff being a good boy
2. The variants the heroes will meet. This would be the Kingdom Hearts of Marvel: you never know who you'll meet next. There would faces from all forms of Marvel media. From the comics, to the cartoons, to the video games, etc. And nobody's off the table. Anyone will get a chance to appear, no matter how beloved or hated they are. However, they will be treated accordingly depending on their reputation. There would also be a lot of original universes to this series as well, in order to help diversify things.
And finally for the voice cast, it's largely the same as the game but with a few exceptions.
Cap would be voiced again by Roger Craig Smith.
Storm would be voiced again by Danielle Nicolet.
Iron Man would be voiced again by Mick Wingert.
And Spidey would be voiced again by the one….the only…..Josh Keaton!
Anyway, that's all I have.
Let me you know what you think about this concept.
I'm planning on doing a pitch bible to give a more-fleshed out version of all this.
And also, what are some variants you would love to see in this series? And if so, what kind of interactions would they have with the heroes?
#marvel rivals#marvel idea#cartoon idea#marvel#hela#magneto#storm#scarlet witch#peni parker#rocket raccoon#groot#namor the sub mariner#luna snow#hulk#winter soldier#captain america#jeff the land shark#thor#venom#spider man#adam warrington#doctor strange#magik#star lord#mantis#the punisher#iron man#loki
161 notes
·
View notes
Text
My ranking of the Gladiators on BBC's 'Gladiators':
18. Electro - Nothing against her, she just doesn't seem to have that much personality. Never has anything interesting to say in post-match interviews, and I don't like her intro music
17. Viper - I feel bad for Quang Luong as he's stuck in a one dimensional baddie role. He might be intimidating if he didn't keep losing. Still, his tantrums sometimes make me chuckle.
16. Comet - Glad she's back after her foot injury. I feel like her gymnastic skill set has limited application though. With her height, she should be doing better on The Wall. Good intro music though.
15. Hammer - A bit early to tell, but his off-brand Thor schtick shows promise. He seems to buy his own self-hype, unlike Apollo.
14. Giant - Seems like a nice enough guy. Coasting on his size and reliability at Duel and Gauntlet, but to be fair he is big. Get well soon.
13. Phantom - Why is he called Phantom?! Benefitting from the introduction of Unleash - it's a joy to see him sprint. Not as good a dancer as Nitro but very good at taking his hood off.
12. Dynamite - Aw she's sweet! One of the more wholesome Glads, and a decent all rounder. Always a highlight when the little sister bang bangs into the room.
11. Steel - I like it when he goes "rarw!" and then smiles so you know he's nice really. Very unassuming in post-match interviews. Looks like a meathead but talks like a regular member of the public.
10. Athena - Comes across as the most middle-class Gladiator, so I'm into that. I like the ancient goddess aesthetic but it's a shame she doesn't make more of that by, I dunno, speaking in proverbs or referring to herself in the 3rd person. One of the best intro songs.
9. Fire - Really thriving in Unleash. Fun to watch, I think it's the hair.
8. Bionic - Not sure I like his name being an adjective but hands down the best intro song. Untouchable on Duel. Could lean harder into the robot bit by saying "beep boop LOW BATTERY beep".
7. Diamond - Cheeky! Especially to the ref. Seems to be having the most fun (except for Nitro). Comes across as a bit of a posh girl with that straightened hair but I won't hold that against her.
6. Sabre - Really commits to the sexy cat bit, though needs to think of something to say besides "I got my claws in". Those biceps oh my god...
5. Apollo - Your mum's favourite Gladiator. Needs to work on his trash talk but he's getting there. Just a nice, down to earth, sporty lad with great hair and a decent intro song.
4. Cyclone - Exactly what the women's team needed: a bit of attitude and edge. A big tough meanie. I like her costume and her accent whatever the hell it is.
3. Fury - Probably the most misleadingly named. Her defining moment was when Sabre told her to hold Cyclone back but she just hugged her instead. A lovely Yorkshire lass who can still knock you down like it's nothing.
2. Nitro - Infinitely fun and energetic. Cheeky without being annoying, and joy to watch on The Wall. Get well soon, buddy.
Legend - You know how Phoebe from Friends feels like she's from a totally different and weirder show? Legend belongs in Peep Show or People Just Do Nothing. Not to be a snob but I'm amazed a BBC One audience embraced a character who craves humiliation this much. Also his abs are unspeakable...
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
Today in the #925Universe we provide a deeper look into the life and hardships of romance novel aficionado and galfriend to Peter "Dynamite" Thor, Glenda Sif!
Art by the lovely @aristidetwain
Read here: https://ninetwofiveuniverse.wordpress.com/2025/02/14/glenda-sif/
Glenda's first major appearance in the this series was also in the Valentine's Day special "Lovie Dovie Stuff", which you can read here:
https://ninetwofiveuniverse.wordpress.com/2023/02/11/lovie-dovie-stuff/
#my writing#925 universe#public domain superheroes#dynamite thor#Spider Queen#The Dart#Fox Features Syndicate#I apologise to any wiki editors looking at this and thinking “At long last Mop has made our jobs easy”#I assure you I haven't
13 notes
·
View notes
Text
Gargoyles Doesn’t Need Marvel.
“Wouldn’t it be great to see Xanatos battle Tony Stark?” “How about Dr. Strange versus Oberon!” “I want to see Brooklyn join the Avengers!” “Magneto and Demona would make an awesome alliance!” “There’s no reason not to merge Gargoyles into the Marvel Universe!”
There’s a reason not to. There's a lot of reasons.
First of all, the two universes are pretty incompatible. Time travel works differently in both universe for one. In "Gargoyles" you cannot alter history, and that series is so much better for it. If it were a part of Marvel, it would be too easy for Goliath to, let's say, go back in time and prevent the massacre of his clan back in 994 Scotland.
I suppose you could retcon away those Marvel time travel stories like "Age of Apocalypse" and "Days of Future Past." While I would not mind that, it wouldn't be fair to the fans and creators of those stories.
Second, while I have no doubt the existence of gargoyles would be shocking to the people of the Marvel Universe, it wouldn't have the same impact it should. Not in a world where mutants, super-beings, Atlanteans, Inhumans, Eternals, Norse gods, and Fin Fang Foom are already known to exist with Galactus stopping by every other Tuesday.
Third, okay, Marvel's Odin is now a Child of Oberon, as are the Asgardians. Okay... how well do you think that's going to go over with the fans of Jack Kirby's Thor who have been reading it for nearly fifty years now? Hell, there are still some people who are uneasy about Odin being subject to Oberon in "Gargoyles." I'm not one of those people, but I understand where they're coming from.
Finally, and perhaps most important, the Marvel Universe is not really going anywhere. It is very cyclical. Things come, things go, status quos change and are restored. Spider-Man is married for twenty years, then he is single again. Magneto reforms, then is a villain again, then reforms, etc, etc.
For example, I respect a lot of what Joe Quesada has done for Marvel. However, the notion of him and his successors (I know he's gone now) having any kind of creative influence over "Gargoyles" scares me. "Goliath and Elisa were more interesting before they finally declared their love and got together. The core of it was always impossible love, so now we have to split them up." You know it would happen.
"The Gargoyles Universe" is going somewhere, as we're still seeing in the Dynamite comic, it was always evolving. Never going backwards, but moving forwards. It was an evolving tapestry, and change was constant. Marvel, on the other hand, lives and breathes on the illusion of change, while actual change is non-existent. Death is meaningless. Characters don't age, and the status quo may shake up on occasion, but it is always eventually restored.
The Marvel Universe was built by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko, and maintained by many very talented and creative people acting as custodians of that work. But, for better or worse, it is a soup with hundreds of cooks. Many great chefs, and more than a few fast food fry cooks.
"Gargoyles" was co-created by Greg Weisman, and while he had a lot of help, he was the only co-creator, and the one who never stopped working on it. He was the first author of "Gargoyles" and more than likely he will be the last author of "Gargoyles." For the better. We saw "Gargoyles" without Greg Weisman, and it was nothing good.
Both universes have their place, but you couldn't merge them without one of them being significantly altered in the process. Now, I will admit my bias again and say that I wish the "Marvel Universe" was more like the "Gargoyles Universe" but, there's no real point. It's been around for nearly six decades (over eight if you want to talk about Timely Comics), and it's not going to change. As I've made clear, I think that's kind of the problem, but an understandable one given the nature of Marvel Comics. DC too, for that matter.
Now, I realize a lot of the above makes it look like I'm saying "Gargoyles" is great and Marvel is awful, but I don't feel that way at all. I just don't think such a thing would work without one of the universes suffering for it.
41 notes
·
View notes
Text
Show Notes 11/20/23

Gather 'round the turkey with us as we determine some of the rawest moments in comics history on this week's episode!
The rundown:
Chris' check and rec: Caught up on Dragon Ball, The Like a Dragon Gaiden match on last week's AEW Dynamite
Matt's check and rec: Sony's Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Super Mario RPG
Comics reviewed:
G.I. Joe #301
Fantastic Four#13
Immortal Thor #4
Listen here!
11 notes
·
View notes
Text
I saw Captain America, Thor, Iron-Man, the Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow drop a giant weight on a cinema, flattening it into a pancake.
The next day I saw them throw a stick of acme dynamite on to another cinema, blowing it to ashes.
The third day I witnessed them painting a dark hole under another cinema. It fell into the hole, never to return.
Marvel is destroying cinema! HELP!
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Mighty Thor #364 (1986) Cover by Walt Simonson, Pencils & Story, 1st Appearance of of Puddlegulp (Simon Walterson) Later Becomes Throg
#TheMightyThor #364 (1986) Cover by #WaltSimonson, Pencils & Story, 1st Appearance of of #Puddlegulp (#SimonWalterson) Later Becomes #Throg "Thor Croaks" Yes by a curse of Loki, Thor has become a frog, and in this issue he has a frog adventure with a group of frogs in Central Park. Can Thor regain his original form and destroy Loki's enchantment? https://www.rarecomicbooks.fashionablewebs.com/Thor.html#364 @rarecomicbooks Website Link In Bio Page If Applicable. SAVE ON SHIPPING COST - NOW AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL PICK UP IN DELTONA, FLORIDA #RareComicBooks #KeyComicBooks #MCU #MarvelComics #MarvelUniverse #KeyComic #ComicBooks

#The Mighty Thor#364 (1986) Cover by Walt Simonson#Pencils & Story#1st Appearance of of Puddlegulp (Simon Walterson) Later Becomes Throg#Rare Comic Books#Key Comic Books#DC Comics#DCU#DC#Marvel Comics#MCU#Marvel#Marvel Universe#DC Universe#Dynamite Entertainment#Dark Horse Comic Books#Boom#IDW Publishing#Image Comics#Now Comics#Key Comics#Rare Comics#Vintage Comics
0 notes
Text
Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!
Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week! 15 comics to check out! #comics #comicbooks
Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at! Find out what…

View On WordPress
#a business proposal#boom studios#captain america#cex publishing#comic books#Comics#convoy#creed: the next round#dark horse#Dark Horse Comics#darkwing duck#dc comics#drawn & quarterly#dynamite entertainment#featured#first second#image comics#immortal thor#ize press#knight terrors#magnetic press#marvel#mother nature#Mother Russia#solo leveling#spy superb#the naked tree#the penguin#the schlub#things in the basement
1 note
·
View note
Text
Domestic Masterlist 2
part one
between everything, yourself, and home (ao3) - napricot steve/bucky E, 24k
Summary: “This is your home?” asks Bucky at one point.
“It’s where I’m living now, yeah.”
Bucky comes home. Steve's a little slower on the uptake.
Chronicles of Super Soldier Parents (ao3) - rememberednoah steve/bucky G, 12k
Summary: In which Steve and Bucky adopt a little girl. In which The Avengers think the little girl is theirs as much as she's Steve's and Bucky's.
Domesticating a god (ao3) - Sif jane/thor G, 2k
Summary: Thor is struggling with life on Earth with Jane Foster, his lover.
Falling out the Clouds (ao3) - abcd_em mj/peter T, 9k
Summary: Five times Peter gave MJ flowers and one time MJ gave them to him.
Fever (ao3) - MoreThanAFeeling (Daretodream66) steve/bucky G, 10k
Summary: Gay Bucky meets Stephanie Rogers, a chef working the Stark Expo. He finds her attractive and doesn't understand those feelings. Then Stephanie reveals something about herself and Bucky falls hard.
Friendly Neighborhood Superheroes (ao3) - steverogersandpeggycarter peggy/steve G, 2k
Summary: Peter Parker meets the Avengers and learns a few things about Captain America's domestic life.
glitter in the air (ao3) - haveufoundwhaturlookingfor bucky/steve/sam G, 1k
Summary: Steve volunteers him and Bucky to watch Peter when Tony needs to go to an important business meeting for Stark Industries. Bucky's only been back for a few months, and doesn't quite trust himself around others, let alone a child.
Hello Midtown High (ao3) - AmyR G, 20k
Summary: This is basically domestic Avengers and Peter Parker, with a slight smattering of the Field Trip trope thrown in. It's really just domestic Avengers though.
Just Hold Me (ao3) - shanology steve/bucky E, 10k
Summary: Bucky Barnes is living in Avengers Tower, and all he wants in the world is to be cuddled. He sets out to get his new friends to give him the snuggling he needs, because it's not something he can ask of Steve yet.
Steve doesn't see it in quite the same way.
Also, there are Avengers movie nights, possibly with a showing of The Covenant. Just saying.
just know you're not alone (ao3) - haveufoundwhaturlookingfor tony/sam T, 10k
Summary: Tony was settling into his new life being an Avenger. Everything was going fine, great even, and then suddenly a kid was thrown into the picture. Peter Parker becomes Tony’s world, and he’s doing everything he can to keep his son out of the spotlight. Unfortunately, some things don’t always go to plan. But would it really be such a bad thing if his fellow Avengers found out about his son?
Kissin’ Dynamite (ao3) - crime_fighting_spiderling pepper/tony, mj/peter G, 27k
Summary: “Maybe I shouldn’t go.” Peter spoke. MJ shoved a permission slip into his hand at his comment.
“You’re going.” She simply stated.
Where Peter and his class go on a field trip to Stark Tower.
Parenting for Superheroes (ao3) - somebocly steve/tony G, 5k
Summary: AKA Peter thought coffee and energy drinks would mix well together while staying at the Avengers Tower.
Sleep deprivation (ao3) - alienspronkles N/R, 3k
Summary: What if Tony didn’t know that the building fell on Peter in Spider-Man: Homecoming? And Peter accidentally mentioned it?
Aka: Sleep deprivation gets to Peter due to his nightmares from Toomes dropping a building on him, Tony thinks he’s been kidnapped after he falls asleep in Matt Murdock’s apartment, and Peter accidentally lets it slip to Tony that Toomes dropped a building on him.
spider-man: homewrecker (ao3) - watsonmj (divineauthor) mj/peter M, 3k
Summary: Peter and MJ are married. MJ’s a famous actress. Peter’s still Spider-Man. People think Spider-Man and MJ are together. The problem? Everyone knows MJ is a married woman.
The Best Thing (ao3) - winterstony steve/tony E, 32k
Summary: A billionaire finds home in the presence of a single father and his adorable little son. Together they help fill the empty holes in each other's lives.
where spider-man is not having a good time and neither is anyone else (ao3) - Guessthisiswhat N/R, 13k
Summary:
Stark Expo, May 2010 14 kids go missing in the attack. Only one found alive.
May 2016 Peter Parker escapes the compound he’s been in for the last six years.
August 2016 Spider-man makes his first appearance.
Or Peter Parker was kidnapped by Hydra at the Stark Expo in 2010 and was never reported missing because Aunt May and Uncle Ben died in the attack. Six years later he has escaped and now takes up the Spider-man persona. Leading the Avengers to be tracking him down, all while he is homeless.
you don’t have to work to make it feel like home (ao3) - AuroraWest, Nonexistenz loki/stephen, jane/thor M, 5k
Summary: It was so stupid to be nervous. His fears didn’t even have form; he was simply concerned that…something, anything, would go wrong. Stephen would realize he’d become involved in something that was far more work than he’d realized—far more work even than Loki was by himself, and that was saying something—and he would excuse himself halfway through dinner and say Maybe we shouldn’t see each other anymore.
Loki and Stephen have been together for two months and that can only mean one thing: it's time for a family dinner.
You're My Home Now (ao3) - TheWickedWitchy steve/thor E, 2k
Summary: Thor moves in with Steve, and is made to feel at home.
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
Loki Season 2 Episode 3 Review: A Major Problem
★★★☆☆
[Article contains spoilers]
There's a big TVA reunion afoot in the third episode of Loki season two.
A headache-inducing episode of Loki gets underway in the 1800s this week, as Ravonna Renslayer finally pops up on the Sacred Timeline with Miss Minutes in tow. He Who Remains’ promise in the season one finale – that if Sylvie killed him he’d just end up right back on top – seems to hinge on a plan to kickstart a kind of causal loop, where a past variant receives a copy of OB’s TVA guidebook and is inspired to create all manner of technological inventions, including a rough version of the temporal loom.
There are positives and negatives to this trip back in time. It’s great to have Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Tara Strong back as the ruthless Renslayer and Miss Minutes respectively. The pair are dynamite together here, and I’m still fully able to suspend my disbelief and buy into the talking animated clock on screen as a real presence. Miss Minutes’ old timey black and white look is an incredible visual flourish.
The Balder the Brave chatter between Loki and Mobius is also a really fun Easter egg for fans who have been charting the character’s failure to launch in the MCU since Kenneth Branagh’s first Thor movie, and it looks like Daniel Craig will never get to throw on Balder’s costume now. Loki’s “I don’t know her” attitude got a real good laugh out of me regardless.
The 1893 World’s Fair is a fascinating setting for the introduction of Victor Timely (Jonathan Majors). As Mobius alludes, so many key historical events were happening around this time, including many of the horrific crimes committed by serial killer H. H. Holmes. A lot of visual effects work has clearly been put in to recreate the vibes of the era, but depending on which shot we’re dealing with it’s hit and miss. The Ferris Wheel sequence is perhaps the most engaging of them all, as Sylvie and Loki call back to the season one finale, battling it out for Timely’s soul while he’s thrown around the passenger car.
Timely himself is the real problem. Setting aside his troubling legal problems for a moment, Majors’ performance as Victor is just awful, though I fear this is another “your mileage may vary” situation. I admittedly really enjoyed the acting choices Majors made as both He Who Remains and Kang the Conqueror, but his execution here took me right out. It’s just way too pantomime, making Oscar Isaac’s turn as Steven Grant in Moon Knight seem almost reserved in comparison. It actually reminds me of Kiefer Sutherland in Dark City a bit. I love that movie, but I can understand why people hated his performance in it. For what it’s worth, my colleagues at Den of Geek didn’t have a problem with Majors’ Doctor Who guest star-esque Timely at all. This one may just be divisive!
Much more entertaining is Miss Minutes’ continuing transition from helpful AI to unhinged cartoon bunny boiler. Miss Minutes’ romantic (and clearly erotic) obsession with her maker is sincerely touching and troubling; her love for He Who Remains/Victor teetering into pure rage at moments. Strong is able to fully flex her notable voice talents in these scenes. It’s a real rollercoaster to hear her despairing monologue descend into fury and panic. I applaud this arc for Miss Minutes, personally. Sci-fi writers will often create fictional AI that gets mad and kills us, but hardly any of them are brave enough to ask “what if it was also really horny?”
Along with Strong’s nightmarish performance, Di Martino gets more to do as Sylvie in episode three, and the character’s inner conflict over killing Timely is palpable. It’s interesting that she decides not to slay him again, and that the punishment she dishes out to her violent pruner Ravonna is non-lethal. Sylvie always seems destined to wrestle with whether or not to play God, which is clearly a work-in-progress when you’re a God!
As the episode comes to a close, we leave Victor joining our TVA good guys and Ravonna and Miss Minutes stranded at the end of time, with Miss Minutes about to drop one hell of a truth bomb on Ravonna. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how angry she gets about it next week.
4 notes
·
View notes